The man charged with delivering a North Sea grid to plug-in energy from offshore wind is hopeful a major international conference can help identify new financial solutions to fund the huge infrastructure works needed.

Georg Adamowitsch, the European co-coordinator for the connection of offshore wind power in Northern Europe, is attending the Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference which opens at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on September 28.

The conference aims to bring public and private sector expertise together to find funding solutions.

Speaking ahead of his visit to Edinburgh Adamowitsch said: "The liberalisation of the European energy market, the development of renewable energies, and the guarantee of security of supply, all require new approaches for the financing of infrastructures within the European Union.

"The challenges facing infrastructure development in the next two decades call for urgent action. Modernising and expanding energy infrastructure is a necessity if we want to go towards a low carbon energy system.

"Not all of the investments will be taken up by the market and gaps will remain because of lengthy permitting procedures and difficulties of allocating costs of projects.

"Therefore coordinated action at European and National level is required to reduce costs and boost the economy.

"Making the necessary investments in energy infrastructure must begin now. Taking into account the wind, wave and tidal resources of Scotland, you are in a position to help the rest of Europe to achieve its climate goals."